Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama has been informed of the school shooting in Connecticut and will receive regular updates throughout the day, the White House said on Friday.

His press secretary Jay Carney said Obama was informed of the shooting at 10:30 a.m. ET by his homeland security adviser John Brennan.
"The president is receiving regular updates as more information becomes available about this incident and as the day proceeds, if we get more information and as we get more information, we'll certainly provide it to you," Carney said.

He said Obama had spoken by phone with FBI Director Robert Muller and Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy. On the call, he was updated with the latest information on the shooting and expressed his condolences.

Asked whether the shooting would have any policy implications on gun control, Carney said that discussion was for another day.

"I think it's important on a day like today to view this - as I know the president, as a father, does, and I as a father and others who are parents certainly do - which is to feel enormous sympathy for families that are affected and to do everything we can to support state and local law enforcement and support those who are enduring what appears to be a very tragic event."

"There is, I'm sure, will be, rather, a day for discussion of the usual Washington policy debates but I don't think today is that day," he said.

The president has cancelled plans to travel to Portland, Maine on Wednesday as a result of the shooting, according to a release from the White House.

What deep disturbing sadness. My heart goes out to those parents, the staff, and the children. What are we doing to ourselvves?

December 14, 2012 01:06 pm at 1:06 pm |

Honestly.......

I agree, RS. The mentally ill should not have access to guns. Come up with a way to sort them out and flag them, and we can go with it.

Any new gun control laws will go the way of pot laws. The states that want them, will have them and ignore the laws, and Obama will simply say that he has bigger fish to fry. Just like with the heavily ignored Federal Pot Laws.

December 14, 2012 01:15 pm at 1:15 pm |

Mitt Robme_DRAFT_DODGING, TAX_EVADING_Merchandise Discounted AT 47%

The NRA should be very proud of their accomplishment & for being the strongest lobbying group against gun control lawsl!!!

Very sad indeed and my heart goes out to the families of these little angels who were killed by this sick & evil murderer!!!!

RIP

December 14, 2012 01:19 pm at 1:19 pm |

scott

I agree AZ. sad sad day

December 14, 2012 01:27 pm at 1:27 pm |

rs

Honestly.......

Quite so. This isssue is so politicized no one will want to touch it. But it is another case where one specialist lobby has more of a voice than citizens. In my state gun laws are so lax that it is harder to get a driver's licence or a building permit than a gun.

December 14, 2012 01:28 pm at 1:28 pm |

Woman In California

My condolences to the victims.

Yet another reason I will NEVER vote republican. The rise of guns since this president has been elected makes me sick to my stomach. The racist NRA and their racist followers, advocate using a gun as if it is something to be proud of such as a trophy, and the hate speech by the republican party is outrageous and dangerous. It is such hate speech, that probably lead to the deaths of young Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis. I will ALWAYS continue to hold this party responsible for taking hate to a whole new level and I will pass over ANY person running for office in the future with a (R) after their name.

December 14, 2012 01:30 pm at 1:30 pm |

Beetom

Much of the blame should go to Republicans for obstructing gun control and their defense of NRA. There has to be tighter control over selling guns, and a greater efforrt to remove guns that are now floating around in the crazy public's hands.

We are more alike than we are different....until we recognize this fact people will isolate themselves, think no one understands there plight. We need to stop the decisive rhetoric,get serious on our gun laws.....everyone including the NRA!!! Arming everyone is not the answer. God help the little ones and help us to love eachother.

December 14, 2012 01:33 pm at 1:33 pm |

marty

Now it's time to get angry. How many more innocents must be killed before we stop all the violence through guns and violence through hate talking heads? All day long we listen to angry persons venting, we read about the deranged who kill at random, we see ,on the media outlets, venom coming out of the mouths of those who are supposed to represent us at the seat of government. We have literally stupid, I repeat, stupid 'leaders' who are more interested in curbing a woman's reproductive rights or reduce help for those less fortunate than to ban ugly, unnecessary,powerful weapons whose only purpose is to kill. Dabble some dollar bills under someone's nose and you can lobby for whatever you want. Unfortunately, there is a lot of vindictiveness and outright meanness under the pretense of patriotism, loyalty and religion. Eighteen little persons dead!!! At least twenty-six at last count. And what will we hear.....that guns don't kill people.....the shame is too great to comprehend.

It is not Gun control that does this sort of thing, but rather sick individuals. While you are out trying to ban firearms, do not forget to ban smoking, drinking, cell phones, coffee, and the countless other vices that cause death to Americans by those who chose to use them in unlawful manners.

My heart goes out to those in NewTown Conn.

December 14, 2012 01:34 pm at 1:34 pm |

sm41

I'd bet the keys to my car those guns were stolen or illegally owned.

December 14, 2012 01:36 pm at 1:36 pm |

Pete d

to "Woman In California"

You do realize that Obama is a democrat, right? And gun laws are made at the state level. Race had nothing to do with the death of T.Martin.

December 14, 2012 01:36 pm at 1:36 pm |

Facts don't Lie

can't go to the mall, can't go to a movie, can't send your kids to school without fear of some nutjob possibly coming in shooting up the place. What a sad day this is and what have we become. Of course some NRA member might say had all the kids been armed they could have fought back. That is what some said about the shooting in Aurora. We need to do something people no matter what the NRA or those on the far right or left might say.

It is not Gun control that does this sort of thing, but rather sick individuals. While you are out trying to ban firearms, do not forget to ban smoking, drinking, cell phones, coffee, and the countless other vices that cause death to Americans by those who chose to use them in unlawful manners.

My heart goes out to those in NewTown Con

December 14, 2012 01:38 pm at 1:38 pm |

Deb in MT

O.K.My first comment didn't make it through, so I had to scrub the profanity.

First, my deepest sympathies to the families of the victims, and to the children who have survived but were traumatized by this horrific atrocity. What a horrible thing to happen to all these innocents.

I no longer care if you like to hunt or target shoot. I no longer care if you think you can take on the world's strongest military with your precious popguns and boomsticks (ha, good luck with that one!). We have come to the point –after Colorado, Oregon, Florida and now Connecticutt–where we have to have a serious and unrestrained national debate over the role of guns in our society, because it seems to me that the people who are truley at risk of harm now are the innocent people going about their business who are being slaughtered by those who can easily acquire guns in this country.

As mentioned above, I'd have an easier time getting a weapon capable of mass destruction, than to get a new building permit to expand my rumpus room. That, my friends, is insane.

December 14, 2012 01:48 pm at 1:48 pm |

Paco

same thing just happened in China today but he used a knife, nuts are nuts, spree killers will kill with anything available

December 14, 2012 01:54 pm at 1:54 pm |

Jake from mchenry

and if you think gun laws would've stopped this guy from getting a few pistols, you probably think drug laws stop people from getting drugs. MERICA

December 14, 2012 01:56 pm at 1:56 pm |

Jake from mchenry

im sure of those teachers had open carry guns they would have still just watched....

December 14, 2012 01:58 pm at 1:58 pm |

validityB

This is all PRO GUN Republicans fault, this party is ruining the country left and right!!!

December 14, 2012 02:01 pm at 2:01 pm |

Sniffit

And you know what? The NRA's donations will go UP after this.

Go straight to limitless outrage...do not stop at depthless sorrow.

December 14, 2012 02:04 pm at 2:04 pm |

patNY

Funny things is...you never hear about these sort of mass killings happening with such frequency in nations that ban all gun ownership, as you do here in the good old United States of the NRA!

December 14, 2012 02:13 pm at 2:13 pm |

ST

Very disturbing news. What is going on in heads of these people nowadays? Why anyone should attack defendless kids? Tough measure on guns should be taken. Things can not go like this. Totally unacceptable.

December 14, 2012 02:21 pm at 2:21 pm |

Angie luv

My heart goes out to the families of the victims especially our innocent little ones.What is our nation coming.What we must look like to the rest of the civilized world. With this type of thing happening over and over. STRICTER GUN LAWS !!!